Coldwater MS 001, 2012
Coldwater’s story
156 years in pictures
Census counts: 397 in 1880, 1,381 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and 3 maps from 1944 on.
- 1870Coldwater is settled
ColdwaterMS
Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki ([email protected]) · CC BY 3.0
Population
1,326
2025 Census estimate · −4.3% since 2020
Typical home
$253K
+3.8% in a year
Household income
$44K
median
Median age
41.0
years
Jobs based here
378
Balanced
Is Coldwater a good place to live?
Coldwater’s best subject grade is an A− for cost of living; its weakest is a D for health. 34% of residents live below the poverty line in Coldwater, where Mississippi’s towns sit at 21% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Only 1 of the 102 Mississippi towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Coldwater. Coldwater's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 82% of U.S. towns. Coldwater has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Coldwater stand out
Where Coldwater beats most towns.
A shrinking town
Coldwater has shrunk 21% since 2010
1,677 counted in 2010 and 1,381 in 2020; an estimated 1,326 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Coldwater grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Coldwater is from typical.
HealthHighland Hills Medical Center 4.7 miles awayDOpen →Jobs & incomeC−Open →Cost of livingA−Open →SchoolsC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.9 of 20; 9.1% of households have no car; 1.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →History7 notable people born hereC−Open →Civic life3.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 41.0; 7% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Coldwater: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Coldwater, and how to reach them.
PowerEntergy Mississippi13.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Coldwater1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Coldwater’s trash rules yet
Register to voteIn personMississippi has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereTate County RegistrarTate County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2023
ZIP code3861838618 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Coldwater.
HealthD
Coldwater is less healthy than 89% of U.S. towns
Coldwater beats the Mississippi average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 19% of adults have diabetes in Coldwater, against 16% in Mississippi’s towns and 12% across U.S. towns. 50% of Coldwater adults have high blood pressure.
11%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Coldwater | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 50% | 45% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 24% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Mississippi
1 better22 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Coldwater | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6% | 7.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 15.5% | 11.2% |
Highland Hills Medical Center
4.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsC−
Public schools in Coldwater fall behind 77% of Mississippi districts
Its public schools are run by the Tate County School District. Its two schools are below.
23%of MS districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coldwater Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 213 | C− |
| Senatobia-Tate Career Technical CenterLargest public high schoolGrades 10–12 | Grades 10–12 | – | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade A−
Coldwater’s typical home value is about $253K
The typical Coldwater home is worth about $253,000, up 3.8% in a year, 30% above the Mississippi typical home.
$253KZillow home value
Typical home value
Coldwater$253K
Mississippi$195K
+3.8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in April
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Coldwater has mild winters and hot summers
Coldwater has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Coldwater is 91°F.
91°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter34–53°
Spring51–73°
Summer70–90°
Fall52–74°
Nov 4
typical first frost
Mar 20
typical last frost
+0.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
91°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Most of Coldwater’s workers commute out: the town has 0.8 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Coldwater for work: only 2% work in town. Since 2013, Coldwater has added 151 jobs, to 378 in 2023. Coldwater’s median household income is $44,000.
2%work in town
| Coldwater | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.8% | 19% | 8% |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Coldwater2%
Memphis17%
Southaven11%
Olive Branch10%
Senatobia10%
22 mi
median commute distance
378
jobs based in Coldwater
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 42% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Moderate risk in Coldwater, with earthquakes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities.
50risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesTornadoesInland flooding
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Coldwater
18pages on Coldwater
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Coldwater
About 2 of every 100 Coldwater residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Mississippi.
Small town
1,326 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Famous people from Coldwater
7 notable people were born in Coldwater.
About Coldwater
Town in Mississippi, United States
Coldwater is a town in Tate County, Mississippi, United States, and is part of the Memphis Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 census, Coldwater had a population of 1,381.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 249 ft
- ZIP code
- 38618
- Area code
- 662
Questions about Coldwater
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
What is Coldwater, MS known for?
7 notable people were born here, including Trell Kimmons and Big Time Sarah.